Australia does due diligence on Global Warming

Lawrence Solomon, author of a book on global warming skeptics, alerts us to the global warming glasnost (his term) underway in the Australian government and press, in the National Post:

With Australia's resource-based economy rocked by recession, large swathes of the public are for the first time asking themselves if the job losses and economic dislocations that would come of reducing carbon dioxide emissions are really necessary. At the same time, the Australian Senate Select Committee on Climate Policy is hearing testimony on the wisdom of an Emissions Trading Scheme. Not only have the politicians running the proceedings decided to allow climate sceptics to express themselves, much of the press has decided to report their views fairly.

The economic stress in Australia (as well as the importance of its coal industry) has helped a new book, as yet unpublished in the US, attain best seller status, and actually influence the climate of opinion in Australia. In Heaven And Earth: Global Warming: The Missing Science, Ian Plimer provides:

perspectives that would once have been derided and dismissed. To those who claim it is economically prudent to curb greenhouse gases based on the information known to date, Plimer responds that the business world would never "make trillion-dollar decisions without a comprehensive and expensive due diligence."

Plimer has given us some important linguistic help here. The concept of due diligence is wonderful, fully intuitive, and also technically valid. Those who make decisions big decisions for organizations have a responsibility to weigh decisions based on all relevant dimensions. In the end, there is no scientific proof of man-made Global Warming.

And calling for glasnost here, thanks to Solomon, on the subject helps put the warmists on the defensive.

Hat tip: Ed Lasky, Wall Street Journal Political Diary

Update: we have received the following communication about the American edition of Heaven and Earth:

Sir,

I have just acquired U.S. rights to Ian Plimer's Heaven and Earth and we intend to publish it within the next six weeks. Since I cannot upload any data until signed originals of our agreement with the Australian publisher are returned--any day now--Americans interested in buying the book should wait until next week to place their orders with Amazon. The data that is at Amazon right now is incorrect.

Lawrence Solomon, author of a book on global warming skeptics, alerts us to the global warming glasnost (his term) underway in the Australian government and press, in the National Post:

With Australia's resource-based economy rocked by recession, large swathes of the public are for the first time asking themselves if the job losses and economic dislocations that would come of reducing carbon dioxide emissions are really necessary. At the same time, the Australian Senate Select Committee on Climate Policy is hearing testimony on the wisdom of an Emissions Trading Scheme. Not only have the politicians running the proceedings decided to allow climate sceptics to express themselves, much of the press has decided to report their views fairly.

The economic stress in Australia (as well as the importance of its coal industry) has helped a new book, as yet unpublished in the US, attain best seller status, and actually influence the climate of opinion in Australia. In Heaven And Earth: Global Warming: The Missing Science, Ian Plimer provides:

perspectives that would once have been derided and dismissed. To those who claim it is economically prudent to curb greenhouse gases based on the information known to date, Plimer responds that the business world would never "make trillion-dollar decisions without a comprehensive and expensive due diligence."

Plimer has given us some important linguistic help here. The concept of due diligence is wonderful, fully intuitive, and also technically valid. Those who make decisions big decisions for organizations have a responsibility to weigh decisions based on all relevant dimensions. In the end, there is no scientific proof of man-made Global Warming.

And calling for glasnost here, thanks to Solomon, on the subject helps put the warmists on the defensive.

Hat tip: Ed Lasky, Wall Street Journal Political Diary

Update: we have received the following communication about the American edition of Heaven and Earth:

Sir,

I have just acquired U.S. rights to Ian Plimer's Heaven and Earth and we intend to publish it within the next six weeks. Since I cannot upload any data until signed originals of our agreement with the Australian publisher are returned--any day now--Americans interested in buying the book should wait until next week to place their orders with Amazon. The data that is at Amazon right now is incorrect.